ES Aircrew2009 Update Training

ES Aircrew2009 Update Training

U.S. AIR FORCE AUXILIARY

U.S. AIR FORCE AUXILIARY

Lt. Col. Stan KegelMinnesota Wing April 2009

Programming the GX-55For the BASIC Grid System

Programming the GX-55For the BASIC Grid System

Parallel Line Search Patterna.k.a. “Grid Search”

“US Grids” are areas 15 minute to a side, serially numbered for each sectional chart (MSP means “Twin Cities” sectional)

7.5 minute quarter grids are named A, B, C, and D – in reading order, left to right, top to bottom

94 00’ W 93 30’ W

45 30’ N

46 00’ N

93 45’

45 45’

414

445 446

MSP413 A

B

C D

A

The “Other” Grid System – BASIC Grids

“BASIC Grids” are areas 1 degree to a side

– The first two digits are the latitude of the SE corner

– The remaining digits are the longitude of the SE corner

– A slash or dash is often used to separate the latitude digits and longitude digits

30 minute quarter grids [or quadrants] are named A, B, C, and D – in reading order, left to right, top to bottom

15 minute sixteenth grids [or sub-quadrants] are named within each quarter grid A, B, C, and D. The full name of the sixteenth grid with a SE corner at 46 N 93 W would be “4693DD”.

94 00’ W 93 00’ W

46 00’ N

47 00’ N

93 30’

46 30’

46/93B

46/93C 46/93D

46/93AB

46/93AC

46/93AD

46/93AA

Comparing the two grid systems

Note that a BASIC sixteenth grid (or sub-quadrant) is the same size as a whole US Grid

Parallel Line Search Patterna.k.a. “Grid Search”

The GPS unit labels the four corners (and also four search pattern entry points) 1, 2, 3, and 4 – clockwiseclockwise starting in northwest.

94 00’ W o 93 45’ W o

46 45’ No

47 00’ No

46/93AA

1 2

4 3

Describing a Parallel Line Pattern

Grid identifier and starting waypoint (i.e. corner of quarter-grid)

Track spacing Direction of tracks – either E/W or N/S

Note: The search area for a parallel line pattern in the GX55 is always a quarter-gridquarter-grid when using US Grids. (It is either a quarter-grid or sixteenth-grid when using BASIC Grids.)

Parallel Line Pattern Example

Sixteenth Grid 44/93AA1

• Northwest corner of sub-quadrant 46/93AA

Track spacing 2 NM

Tracks running east to west

Track spacing

46/93AA

Setting up for the “Other” Grid System – BASIC Grids

First, go to the SAR map set-up page, and press the GRD smart key to change the grid type to BASIC.

Also, make sure the Position field is set to NW (as in North latitude, West longitude). Press the POS smart key to change this value.

GRD

POS

Setting up for the “Other” Grid System – BASIC Grids

Next, while still viewing a map set-up page, turn the small knob to get the SAR Position Page*.

Press the SEL button to get a cursor so values can be changed**.

Use the large knob to move the cursor and the small knob to change values. Change the Latitude and Longitude to represent the correct 10 degree by 10 degree area (i.e. less than and within 10 degrees of the area to be searched).

Press Enter to accept the new values.ENTER

SEL* Note: This page is only reachable when the grid type is set to BASIC.

Programming the Parallel Line Search Pattern for the “Other” Grid System

Prerequisite: The intended grid type (BASIC Grid), hemispheres (“NW”), and SAR Position (SE corner of the 10 degree by 10 degree area) must be configured under map setup.

PAT

MAP

ENTER

Press MAP to view map pages

Turn large knob to view SAR map page

Press the PAT smart key

If needed, turn the small knob to view the “Parallel Line Search Page”

Press ENTER to begin

Programming the Parallel Line Search Pattern for the “Other” Grid System

SEL

ENTER

Press SEL to make cursor appear so that values can be edited

Enter grid corner name*, spacing, and track direction – use large knob to move cursor and small knob to change values

Press ENTER to accept values

Press ENTER again to activate the search pattern

Press PAT to cancel search pattern

ENTER

PAT

* The grid number entered here is the last digit of the latitude followed by the last digit of the longitude of the SE corner. For example, to specify grid 46/93AA, with entry at the NW corner (i.e. corner “1”), first set the SAR Position in Map Setup to Lat. 40, Lon. 90, then on this page enter grid “63AA2” [as shown above]. Note that, in the case of BASIC grids, either a quarter grid (30’ x 30’), with one letter, or a sixteenth grid (15’ x 15’), with two letters, can be specified.